ARIA
by ayla.kocak
Summary: The people of Aria believed the Blessed were gifted by the Divine Heart with magic to protect them all. If only the interlopers never came. Riku/OC, some OC/OC. Starts during 358/2 Days.
1. Blessed

Chapter 1: Blessed

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><p>The sun began to set in the valley below the Aria Mountains, a small kingdom adjacent to the rain-shadowed, uninhabitable Salt Desert. From high altitudes they kept peace, order, and stability in their region through the two things: magic and religion. The people of Aria believed the Divine blessed those who had special hearts with magical abilities—they were chosen as the Divine Hands to lead and protect those who could not themselves. The mundane were left to pray for intercession on their behalf—<p>

"Sayeh, that sounds like a tourist's guide to a polished turd of a cult of mountain men," a blonde girl tossed her head back in laughter.

The narrator, Sayeh, pursed her lips in a frown, obviously discouraged by her companion's amusement. She crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it behind her without caring where it landed. Throwing herself back on the bed, she sighed. "I hate writing papers on this place."

"Doesn't everyone. When is it due?"

"In five minutes—oh no, five minutes! Azara, I am going to be late!"

Both girls scrambled for their uniforms—black form-fitting trousers covered by a long-sleeved, billowing tunic that often reminded them of the fabulous fashions in the valley cities below Aria. However, the mountain climate was nearly unpredictable, so Arian clothing was slightly more functional than valley wear.

Sayeh threw her prayer scarf over her shoulder, and with Azara, bolted from their room.

As they ran up the steep hill from the dormitory compound, students leaving other classes and clergymen tending to the religious institution's needs created a woven maze; neither of the girls could run through the mass with ease. The crowds streamed down the dirt paths from the school building high on the hill.

"Sayeh, don't you have some sort of Stop or Slow spell to get through all the people?" Azara did not respond to the complaining throngs, hoping her friend's abilities would come in use.

Instead, Azara saw Sayeh having as difficult a time as she, puffing up the hill like a burdened train on its last leg. It was the dark-haired girl that actually participated in physical fitness classes; Azara would rather spy on the boys in the locker rooms.

But Sayeh had to be. Because Sayeh was far different from her.

Sayeh was Blessed.

"I'm not allowed to use magic except in class!"

"Well, if you don't, we won't even get to our classes in—woah!" Azara tripped over a tree root, falling face first into the ground. A clergyman stopped to help her to her feet, laughing and cautioning her to walk instead of run. "Please, I'm late to class!"

"_Stop!_" Sayeh commanded, and the world around them halted, including the blonde beside her. Gingerly, she placed a hand on Azara's shoulder, releasing her from the spell Sayeh had placed.

An expression of relief crossed both their faces. "Thank you," Azara said with a smile before continuing her journey up the mound.

The parochial school's façade consisted of old, cream marble and rising spires that surrounded a central dome. When students and teachers weren't scholastically engaged on one side of the school, they were situated in the cathedral, pleading to the Divine for safe passage, guidance, and other topics desiring divine guarantees. Sayeh did not realize they already missed prayer, as well. The clergy would make note of that, and tell Sayeh's teachers if they had not already.

Azara took a second to readjust her prayer scarf, as if she had just rushed from the cathedral. Surely, she would lie and get away with it. Three doors down in the ivory hallway, Sayeh was doing the same, hoping for similar results. The blonde nodded one more time before slipping into her class, as did Sayeh after releasing the campus from her spell.

"You're late," Professor Banu deadpanned, her slouching back towards the intruding student. Sayeh slunk into the nearest chair and readjusted her scarf nervously.

Professor Banu was an older woman, perhaps in her fifties, with wild, bushy eyebrows, and a sagging bun under her veil. The wrinkles around her eyes and mouth told years of sadness and hardship despite her auspicious ties with the Council of Wise Men—the governing body of Aria. Like Sayeh, she was Blessed. What they had in common, Sayeh believed, was why Professor Banu was so critical of her.

The old teacher approached the student's desk with an intense gaze to match her disapproving frown and harsh tone. "And when has it ever been acceptable to freeze the entire campus in time? You put the people around you in danger, especially with those…dark, heart-eating _monsters_ growing in rank."

"I'm sorry," Sayeh tried to say clearly, but her voice faltered on the last syllable. One hand gripped the other tighter as Professor Banu leaned in so close, their noses touched and she could see her daunting reflection in the girl's eyes.

Banu lifted herself from over the small desk and returned to the chalkboard, finishing a summary of upcoming assignment dates. "Sorry does not prevent or replace the taking of lives. Mindfulness and obedience does. Tonight you'll be with the Wise Guard. Do not be later than shift change, _or else_. Everyone turn your papers in to your row leader. I will grade them this evening based on content, grammar, and spelling…"

Sayeh's classes flew by the rest of the day, finally earning her afternoon meal with Azara in their room. Normally, they would eat with a few friends in the Arian Hall, but Sayeh did not want to be seen by those who knew her punishment.

The roommates sat on the floor between their beds, the place where they did homework, painted each other's nails, and other activities. The walls were stark white, while their beds, their furniture and accents were all blue and purple, and various patterns. Cool colors were put in the rooms for the Blessed; they were more calming than warm colors. The Wise Council believed the colors were both auspicious and helpful in keeping the Blessed calm and relaxed. Otherwise, anxiety could manifest in a lack of control, and spells would fly all over the school.

"Did you get in any trouble?" Sayeh asked, swirling the stew in her bowl. She hoped that she was not alone in suffering, despite her lack of ill-wishes towards the blonde, bubbly girl.

Azara gave her a quizzical look and innocently asked, "Why would I get into trouble? Oh, for being late? No, Professor Sher warned me not to be late again, but that was it. He's a pushover, really." She spooned a small helping of stew into her mouth and gulped it down happily. "Did you?"

The Blessed girl set her bowl down next to her on the rug, drawing her knees to her chest. She centered her gaze on Azara's concert poster—she was a talented pianist and often played for arriving guests before sermons. Finally, she answered, "I have to spend tonight with the Wise Guard."

"Oh my!" Azara cupped her mouth, shocked.

The Wise Guard protected the Aria Mountains from intruders, especially at night. Because the people lived high in the mountains, anything climbing up would be easily spotted in the daytime. However, the more recent problems included the small, black heart stealers instead of spies sent from the Valley. The monsters even turned the Valley into an ally—the enemy of one's enemy is another's friend.

Blessed ones made up the Wise Guard. In fact, that was one of three career options for people like Sayeh. Be at teacher, a healer, or a Wise Guard. Sayeh always wanted to be a healer. It was a far safer option than the Wise Guard.

"When do you go, Sayeh?"

Sayeh picked up her bowl again, determined to eat before her all-nighter. "I have to leave at sunset."

* * *

><p>Navid adjusted his cap, expecting the chill he felt at sunset to worsen through the night. At the young age of seventeen, he already had enough experience to become a rookie Guard. His abilities with magic were quickly controlled, focus hard to break. All of his professors recommended him, the clergy loved him, and girls followed him wherever he went in his off time.<p>

He stood tall at six feet and some inches, with shaggy chestnut hair and growing whiskers. His blue eyes nearly glowed in the dark, as if he was kin to the wolves in the higher mountains.

Calling on a superior, he asked about the Blessed girl meant to show for the late shift. "What is her name? I keep forgetting," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Banu said her name is Sayeh. She used Stop on the entire school so she wouldn't be late to class," Captain Dastan answered, shaking his head. "What a misuse."

"Hey, she could be like me!" Navid exclaimed, proudly beating his chest. "I'm one of your best and I've been here for six months!"

Captain Dastan only laughed, returning to his post farther down the Wall outlining the village outskirts.

"I hope she's not a drag—" Navid paused when he turned to see a short girl standing before him. Her eyes were a dark brown, the bangs poking out from under her scarf a sable color.

"I'm Sayeh…I'm here for the night shift."

Navid felt his face flush when he realized he was staring far too long. "Navid. Follow me."

The young Guard took Sayeh to the strongest point of the Wall, all the while giving the history of the heart-eating monsters since their arrival. Most of the time, she was mentally elsewhere; she found Navid to be terribly annoying and verbose.

She just wanted the night to be over with.

"So I heard," Navid started, leaning against the railing near a torch, "you put the whole campus under Stop."

"Uh, yes…" Sayeh looked away, embarrassed.

He hopped up, waving his arms, "No, don't be embarrassed! Sure, old lady Banu was mad, but the whole campus? That's an advance Stop. That's a Stopga, the highest form of that spell with the farthest reach. You know how strong you have to be to use that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Lucky me…"

"Yes, very lucky! You'll be a cool kid like me when you get in the Guard—"

Suddenly, her anger flared. She did not want to be part of the Guard, especially not around this crazy, talkative boy. Around them, things like cups and weaponry began to float on their own—a Zero-Gravity spell. When Sayeh understood what she had involuntarily done, she lowered the objects to the ground and with a frown said, "I just want to be a healer. That's all. There's no future for me with the Guard."

"Oh…okay." Sayeh did not have to look to know his face was full of bewilderment. The night would be long.

As the moon rose overhead, Captain Dastan made his rounds and checked on the posted Guard. Most of them were conversing about their days, their wives, or family members at home. One recently returned from his permissible leave after his wife birthed their child. Another set of men was debating proper forms of prayer, and a few women on the Wall discussed cooking. He expected Navid and the night guest to be chatting away, as well. However, he found them staring into the darkness, sharing an expression of preoccupation.

"Attention!" He shouted. Navid instantly jumped into a saluting pose, while Sayeh struggled to not fall over the railing. "At ease—is this the girl?"

"Yes, Sayeh," she answered, holding out her hand. Dastan gently shook it before continuing.

"Navid, you're quiet. Did she beat you into submission?"

She shook her head, feigning a weak smile. "No sir, I have nothing to offer in conversation. He showed me around and told me what the objective was for the night."

"Luckily, we have a full moon tonight," Dastan looked toward the shining silver moon barely veiled by clouds, "We'll see them in time. And don't worry. The heart-stealers usually come in small groups, not droves. The alarm bell is all you have to ring before you start casting—but leave the casting up to Navid. I've heard you had your share of casting this afternoon. You're talk of the town now!"

Thanks, Professor Banu.

Further down the Wall came a cry, followed by the clanging of the alarm. Someone had spotted the monsters crowding near the wall, some starting to surmount it with the passing seconds.

"What should we do?" Sayeh stammered as her hands started to shake.

Black creatures flooded the wall, splitting at their point of access to attack both sides. A few of them were skittering towards Sayeh and the Guards; a ringing in her ears and the chill of numbness in her extremities meant her adrenaline was rushing.

Navid snatched a halberd from the nearby weapon rack and rushed forward. "Leave them to me!" he shouted behind him.

Dastan was not far behind him, armed with a gunblade and several trailing troops.

Suddenly regret flooded Sayeh's heart. She wished that she never used to the spell, instead wanting to go back and be late for Banu's class. Sayeh had been late plenty of times before, but she always made good grades, held superior rankings in magic performance exams…

…and now she stood there, watching the Wise Guard battle without her, though she was capable.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a moving shadow slithering across the floor on her right. She willed her magic to draw the monster into a gravitational vortex, a magnet within itself.

But she missed. And instead, the black, ant-like thing lunged for her and tore through the hem of her dress. "No!" Sayeh cried, unsure whether she was scared or willing. She again tried to use her Magnet spell, as more monsters were coming towards her.

When her arms crossed over her face in defense, she heard the slicing of air in front of her. All the monsters immediately surrounding her faded to nothing; Navid winked at her, a crooked smile on his face.

"Get your head in the game!"

How his attitude could be the complete opposite of hers, Sayeh had no idea. Her heart raced, her palms sweat, knees buckled…yet Navid thrived in battle like a plant does in sunlight, slinging fire magic while wielding a halberd. How could the lives of many Arians depending on them be a game?

It was nice, though, to feel the relief of being saved, of being given a second chance to prove oneself.

Internally she whispered, "I can do this."

More monsters came, and with Navid urging her on, she summoned the energy and released the Magnet spell. Suddenly, all the monsters flew overhead, twirling around a large vortex of light. Smashing into one another was enough to beat them into a pulp, and they disintegrated before Sayeh and Navid's very eyes.

"Alright! See? You got this!" Navid punched Sayeh lightly in the shoulder, and she flushed with a smile.

Captain Dastan called to them, "More this way—woah!"

The flock of monsters morphed into a bubbling mess on the wall's railing. Once it fell over, it had exploded into a larger being, which rose higher than the wall itself. A hole sat in its torso the shape of a heart, and its arms were muscular with sharp talons. Only two yellow eyes stared out from a mass of tangled tentacles on its head.

Shuddering, Sayeh picked her brain for more magic. What had she learned through the past year of honing her magic? She could never master elemental magic well enough to use it right now. It would be like tossing air at the enemy; nothing would happen. One popped into her head—these monsters were from Darkness. It would serve them all to cast a Darkness Screen on them, to make them resistant to the Darkness' ploys.

While she did that, Navid and Dastan tried their hardest to battle the newly formed giant. Her teammates felt the shift in the atmosphere around them, smiled, and fought harder with strengthened morale. Then, she resumed her hurling of magnet magic at their foe.

Except, she slowly realized, it had no effect on the enormous enemy.

Instead the monster turned his attention to her and lunged. Its jet black hand dove into the place where Sayeh originally stood—she had managed to leap out of the way—and created a black pool, where more vile creatures were birthed.

"There's more!" She shouted to the others, standing in the expanding pool of darkness.

Dastan blocked a swipe from the giant and yelled back, "Get rid of them!"

The little ant-like monsters were weakened by her magic, unlike the big one. Each time the giant would create a new pool, Sayeh was there to destroy the tiny ones.

Then, the giant reared up, and the hole in its torso started to glow with a dark energy. It held in the space for a few seconds, then unleashed onto the Guards cleaning up the monsters. Many were hit, including Navid, Dastan, and Sayeh. The attack threw Sayeh with such force that she flew back into the opposite railing.

She heard her name being called, but could not respond. All her senses were burning, and she could see herself lying in a remaining pool of darkness. It was lapping at her, crashing onto her body like a parasite.

Navid rushed over to her, trying to scrape the dark energy from her body, but it wanted to swallow her, to consume her being.

She shut her eyes, unable to do anything else.

This is the darkness.

* * *

><p>Her dreams were like a strange, never-ending loop of memories. One minute, she dreamt of her mother, whose likeness slowly eroded over time, the features of her face no longer distinct. Sayeh had not seen her since she was six, when the Wise Council went through the Valley and the Mountains rounding up the Blessed children to turn into the Mountains' defense.<p>

Another memory came; her first meeting with Azara, her roommate and only friend. Originally Sayeh was incredibly cold and aloof, but Azara never allowed it to bother her. It was Azara's choice to be educated in the elite Arian school versus the ones in the Valley, and one person was not going to ruin her career.

Azara did not know magic—she was incapable—but she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, possibly one at the school she attended. One night, Sayeh woke from a nightmare, crying for her mother, and Azara crawled into the girl's bed to comfort her. Since then, Sayeh always knew she could count on her friend for anything: homework, comfort, companionship. Azara's family also came to love Sayeh, and tried to visit when they could from the Valley.

Each dream warped into another one, and another. And another.

* * *

><p>"She's waking up! Finally!" whispered a familiar voice. Sayeh discerned it to be Azara's.<p>

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her own bed. Professor Banu and Azara sat bedside, the dark circles around their eyes hinting at a sleepless night or two.

Professor Banu was without her scarf on her crown, the fine grays shoving their way through dull, ruddy hair that might have once been a fiery hue. Her bushy eyebrows flew up in surprise and the wrinkles on her face softened with her smile. "Oh, my child, you are awake! A blessing from the Divine, indeed!"

"What happened? Last I remember…" The pool of darkness trying to swallow her whole.

Every part of her body ached, but there were no injuries to be seen. Any damage Sayeh sustained must have been cured while she slept. Professor Banu reached across the bed and gathered the girl into her arms, the faint smell of rosewater enveloping the two of them.

"My child, you suffered a great battle because of my harsh punishment," Banu said, re-seating herself. "I am sorry for my terrible mistake. You could have been killed!"

Azara excused herself to prayer, promising to talk with Sayeh as soon as she finished.

"It's okay, Professor Banu," Sayeh replied, "I'm alive, which is…nice."

Banu shared a wry grin with the student before reaching toward the nape of her neck. The old professor wore many necklaces and bracelets, many of them being magical charms. She unfastened one with an owl with black gems for eyes and linking pieces to form its body. Then, the old woman slipped a matching set of small golden bracelets with dangling, tinkling bells from her delicate wrist. All the items were set in Sayeh's lap, a gift from the remorseful teacher.

"These are lovely," the girl stuttered, "but I couldn't—"

Banu emphasized gently, "You will, for you are no longer safe. Those creatures…they will come looking for hearts to take, and then they will come looking for you. To be frank, my child, the condition in which you returned was…disturbing. We had never seen a person survive after succumbing to the monsters' will. Navid, that incorrigible boy, burst into the medic ward with you in his arms, and we all thought you were to turn into one of those things."

"Well," Sayeh leaned back onto her pillow, folding her arms, "The good news is that I will no longer be on the Wall, right? I still shouldn't absolutely need these…"

Banu looked towards her black shoes, and Sayeh knew she was wrong.

"I'm not going back on the Wall, am I?"

"The Wise Council saw it fit that you return to the Wall, because of your incident with the darkness."

"What?"

"I pleaded with them, telling them it was my mistake," Banu now looked out the window, the students and clergymen trailing to and from the school, "But you have proven, in a sense, that you are fit to be on the Wall. So you shall be."

Sayeh rose quickly from her spot, a big mistake immediately. She groaned before spilling out, "That's not fair! I'm not even equipped with the skillset to be up there! Ask Navid—"

"Navid and Captain Dastan recounted the entire story. You are capable, and your classes will be switched to higher ones. Navid will even tutor you, as will I, should you need it." Professor Banu rose from the chair and smoothed her tunic out as she slowly approached the door. "I wish you the best of luck, for it seems your path is definitely a Blessed one." With that, she left.

Azara returned after thirty minutes, took Sayeh to the female community baths and shared the things she had heard. "The rumors flying around are incredibly interesting. The Guards say you sacrificed yourself so Captain Dastan and Navid could finish off the monster. Someone else said you simply fainted, and the monsters just ate at you until the Guards could save you."

"So in other words," Sayeh dumped a bucket of warm, sudsy water over her head, "I am a wimp and it's a huge surprise I'm not dead?"

They shared a laugh. "Navid was so worried. He said the pool…of darkness? The darkness did swallow you up, and you disappeared. They searched all over the place for you, and eventually found you lying somewhere along the wall. Navid said it was a miracle."

Azara scanned the other girl's body for signs of wear and tear. She found it fascinating what magic could do—all of her previous injuries were all gone. Anything Sayeh felt was deep inside, and very sore.

She told Azara about what Professor Banu had said, about the jewelry and the new courses.

"New courses? We're halfway through the semester!"

"I know! She thinks I'll be able to catch up. In fact, I'm sure she thinks the world of me now, compared to a day ago."

"A week ago."

"You're joking."

Navid visited the girls and confirmed Azara's timeline. He also brought a small bouquet of flowers, chocolate, and a small "Get Well" card. "Please don't say, 'You shouldn't have!' I did," he said with redness in his cheeks. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Much better," Sayeh answered with a nod, placing the flowers on the desk in front of her bed. The purple and white bouquet consisted of lilies, tulips, and baby's breath; he must have spent a lot of money to get these from the Valley for her. "Thank you for these. They're beautiful."

The trio spoke about the same topic, wondering what was to happen to Sayeh. "I think you'll be a great Guard, Sayeh," Navid claimed. "You were brave even when you were scared and couldn't defend yourself. A lot of people cannot say the same, or live to say it, either."

Perhaps she was.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Notes: Welcome to the first chapter of my Kingdom Hearts story. This chapter was incredibly difficult to churn out, because I had to undergo a month's worth of world consideration, making it an acceptable place, and then molding Sayeh's character to be credible. I checked her character with both the Universal and the Kingdom Hearts Mary-Sue Litmus Test, and thus far she is within the credible range. Yay! I am unsure where I want to take this, but fingers crossed, it turns out well! Please review, let me know what you think, good or bad!<strong>


	2. Voices

CHAPTER 2: Voices

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><p>The masses gathered in the cathedral, heads bowed and covered, for the noon prayer. Overhead in a boxed seating area sat the Wise Council, the crowds of clergymen, then teachers, then students oblivious to their presence. Azara walked down the aisle in front of Sayeh, only to hear the tinkling of the belled bracelets in the quietude; she slowed her pace to bump Sayeh, who realized the jewelry given to her a week ago was loud enough to disturb others. Sayeh clutched at the bracelets, their final noise halting abruptly.<p>

After the prayer and the sermon, Azara and Sayeh made their way to the dining hall for lunch, where they were serving hearty helpings of legume soup, coupled with platefuls of gently seasoned rice and bread. Many of the other students, some recognized from her old courses, lifted their eyes to watch Sayeh, the girl who defied death and darkness. Suddenly, murmuring spread across the hall like wildfire; each person telling another what they had heard about her. Sometimes, Sayeh could hear what they were saying.

_She only fainted so Navid would have to carry her off._

_I don't understand why she gets to change classes…I mean, she's not special. She didn't even kill the monster._

_I love Navid! He's so smart and handsome…that girl better stay away from him, because he's mine, even if he doesn't know it yet!_

_I heard they found her in a ditch and she was almost dead._

"Don't worry about what you hear," Azara said, catching Sayeh's attention. People will always be jealous if they're not special."

They sat across from one another at an isolated table. "It's not like I wanted to be special," Sayeh mumbled.

Those words replayed in her head as she joined her next class. History and Principles of the Agheles Royal Guard was a higher-level class meant for those who chose that career path. She would have been in History and Principles of Medical Assistance in two years, but since the Wise Men already decided her fate…

Captain Dastan wore much less armor than on the Wall in the class, his gentle blue eyes settling on Sayeh the moment she entered the room. His neatly trimmed beard could not hide his warm smile. "Take a seat, Miss Sayeh," then to the entire class, "We have a younger transfer; she will be joining me on the Wall and your ranks in the coming years."

A messy-haired student raised his hand. "Captain, what exactly happened on the Wall?"

"That can be discussed another time," the Captain responded, not even looking Sayeh's way. "Instead, let's talk about the purpose of the Wall…"

Her next class was with Banu, which meant she would be able to use her magic. The same thing happened: she came in, the professor explained her transfer, she sat down, and someone raised their hand to ask about the night before. Banu shot a glare so intense, the students wondered if the curious hand would explode.

After the last class of the day, she met up with Navid on the Wall. He was surrounded by more Guards this time, and upon seeing her, shouted, "Hey, guys! It's Sayeh!"

They all cheered her name as she walked over, flushed from embarrassment. "You were there, Navid, I didn't do much."

"Yeah, I know," Navid replied, "But I thought you'd be more comfortable on the Wall if you had a welcoming committee. See here, this is Cyrus, Cas, and Jesper."

Cas and Jesper were easily discernable as brothers with similar polite smiles and dark features. Cyrus could have been Navid's older brother, only his neutral expression made Sayeh prepare for a dry response. Instead, no one said anything; they were waiting for her to speak, which made her shift in her place. "Nice to meet you," she murmured.

Most of the night shift entailed the boys chattering among themselves. Sayeh listened, but never had much input. When Captain Dastan came by, he checked on her before everyone else, then would patrol the other parts of the wall.

She checked the time often, the minute hand on the town square's glowing clock barely budging in the moonlit sky. The more disappointed she became, the more she would sigh and review her studies for the day. Sayeh fingered her bracelets' beads, wondering where to start…

The new class Banu taught was one higher than Sayeh's original course, where the students already knew how to use all elemental magic, with one becoming an affinity based on the person's nature. Sayeh had yet to master, let alone summon, any of the elemental magic well enough to matter. Instead, she had her Magnet, her Gravity, and Stop.

She cursed inwardly. Had she been able to master an element versus that silly Stop, she would not be on the Wall…

"What's eating you?" Cyrus fell against the railing keeping them from falling below. "You look flustered."

"Well," Sayeh began, "Everyone knows about my Stop magic, but they don't know I can't use much other magic."

His catlike eyes widened under high brows. "Really? That is interesting…" He held his hand in front of him, and with a single thought, sparks of lightning ran along his fingertips. "When I was your age, I found that Thunder suited me best—though I don't know why we call it Thunder, when it's really lightning. Thunder is the sound."

"Yeah, you're right. That is weird," she giggled, the tension loosening in her shoulders.

"Maybe if you watch me do it, you can try to summon lightning yourself. You just have to think of storms, or something." Again, the lightning coated his hand, but this time it had not disappear immediately.

She watched it travel across his hand, wondering what the sensation was like. Did it hurt? Was it an extension of him? The will to summon Thunder coursed through her nerves, through her blood. The same sparks could appear in her hand, if she only tried. Sayeh felt the energy growing in her hand the more she thought of it.

But nothing came out.

The energy plateaued, then flat-lined. She groaned.

"Hey, at least you tried. That's what matters!" Navid said with an unreciprocated smile. Sayeh gave him a large frown. "It works differently for everyone. Mine is Fire, and it takes me being pumped up to use it. Having an off day ruins my game!"

"And we find it best to be calm using Blizzard or Aero," Jesper stated nonchalantly. "It seems this group of ours can access all types of magic taught."

The bell clanged in the distance, interrupting Sayeh's mini-lesson.

Outside the wall were the black ant-like monsters from the last time. She looked to her bracelets, felt the weight of the owl necklace just below her collar and readied herself for another battle with these monsters.

Things went fairly easy with all the elemental magic flying around. Jesper summoned the wind, and Cyrus added his lightning to make an electric tornado, hurling itself at the enemy. It lifted the monsters into the air and zapped them simultaneously.

Sayeh used Magnet to draw the enemies closer, and the boys would knock them down, one by one. It seemed like she did not have much to do, because the ants crowded the elemental Blessed more than her.

She wondered why.

And then, she wondered why she would wonder such a thing.

The alarm cleared, and Navid ran to each Guard, high-fiving the lot. "Good one, guys! And Sayeh! You didn't fall asleep this time!"

She flushed with embarrassment, "I didn't mean to the first time! I'm just happy we didn't have to deal with those Darksides." What?

"Those…what?"

"The large monsters. I-I don't know why I called them that," Sayeh brushed her bangs from her eyes. "It just made sense to me."

At midnight, she cleared her shift and returned to her dormitory, where Azara waited for news. Sayeh did not say much, except that she had successfully dealt with the monsters, if only as an auxiliary combatant. Azara turned the lights out and went to sleep. Sayeh lied awake, pondering the names of the monsters, and why they cared little about her now.

* * *

><p><em>I feel you. I know you're there…this must be what it's like.<em>

"What _what_ is like?"

_His heart is interconnected with so many others. Maybe you're another connection to him, but then why do I feel you? Who are you?_

"Who are you?"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sayeh went to prayer with Azara and said nothing about her dream.<p>

Her classes flew by with the words reading themselves in her mind, no voice to accompany these words that her dream made. She wanted to dismiss it so easily, but never before had a dream spoke to her like that. It said it felt her.

And she felt it back.

"Sayeh? Are you okay?" Navid asked her as he passed her outside the Dining Hall. "You have been standing there since I've gone in, and that was thirty minutes ago."

She nodded, still absent-minded. She did not want Navid to bother her today.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, geez!" Sayeh crabbed, and instantly felt remorse. His cerulean gaze paled with sadness, as if clouds had overtaken the blue oceans. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, just thought I'd ask," Navid bowed his head as he approached the exit. "Oh, and Azara has been looking for you. She's hungry, but won't eat without you."

Sayeh joined Azara at the table without food. "I'm not hungry, you eat," she said before Azara could nag.

"Are you coming this evening?"

"To what? Oh shoot, your recital," the dark haired girl cringed in her seat. How easily she had forgotten. If Azara was offended, she did not show it. "I can be there for most of it, until night falls."

Azara shuffled the vegetables on her plate, all the while staring Sayeh down. "…what's wrong? You normally eat, like, all the time."

"I need to slim down," Sayeh replied jokingly, pinching at her sides, "This is not an attractive look."

Her friend did not press further.

That evening, the whole school gathered in the cathedral, coming in droves as if it was prayer time. Instead, Professor Sher's fine arts classes were presenting a short play on an old Arian folktale. The students worked hard on the thirty minutes of performing they had to do for a grade, and Azara was singing in the production.

The story was called "Hunting", something that appealed to many Arians in the cathedral, as told by the humming of approval when the play was introduced. Actors came on stage in the traditional garb, pretending to have a difficult time holding onto their dogs. A small light off to the right of the stage began to glow, revealing Azara as well.

She sang somberly to the sounds of delicate plucking and an unwavering drum beat; one hunter wanted to unleash their canines on the wild game, but the other refused, reminded of his late lover. The story was moving, beautiful; Sayeh saw many of the elderly women in the pews crying silently to themselves, their bottom lips quivering at the thought of their own losses.

The velvet cushion of the pew dipped when Navid seated himself next to Sayeh. She stiffened a little, then whispered, "There were plenty of other seats."

"Considering we'll be seeing each other in an hour, I thought you wouldn't mind—" Navid was shushed by the old man beside him.

Sayeh ignored the old man and continued, "Exactly. You don't have to pop up everywhere I am."

"Maybe I enjoy your company."

"Then… _un _-enjoy it." Her heart raced, and a numbing heat spread within her body. Does this mean that he liked her?

That night, she dreamt again of the voice.

_Who are you?_

"Sayeh."

_Oh. My name is _._

"What is it?"

__._

"I can't hear it."

_It's _. _, do you hear it now?_

"No, I can't—"

* * *

><p>The alarm screeched across the campus of the school, all the way up to the Wise Council's private compound at the end of the school. Something was amiss.<p>

"Where are you going?" Azara constantly questioned, hugging a pillow to her chest. Her hair stuck out in every which way, and crust still sat in her eyes, but she was alert.

Sayeh, however, was clumsily shoving her feet through trousers and throwing a tunic over her curly, dark, un-bunned mess.

__, do you hear it now?_

The voice's question rang in her head. "I can't hear it."

"What?"

Sayeh jolted into focus, repeating the same interrogative to her friend. "What?"

The blonde sighed. "Where are you going? You're not on duty! Don't leave me here…"

"You'll be fine, I promise," Sayeh said, wrapping her hair with an elastic band. "Just stay in here. I'll leave the Banu bangles with you, just in case."

Within the private compound had risen many of those ant-like monsters. What confused everyone, including the Guard, was how they got there, and why. Then what happened next was twice as perplexing.

A dark oval opened from the ground up, and out stepped two figures cloaked in black.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>This was hard to get out. I had so many elements to introduce at once, that random stuff sort of popped in when it could. Review, please and thank you!


	3. Interlopers

Chapter 3: Interlopers

* * *

><p>A dark oval opened from the ground up, and out stepped two figures cloaked in black. One was tall and slender, and the other was short and wiry. Then the portal closed.<p>

"W-what is the meaning of this?" One of many old men, the Wise Men, squawked. "Did you evil people bring these creatures here?"

"As if," the tall one responded, pulling back his hood to reveal a patch covering one of two golden eyes and a scar on his left cheek, "Though I can't say we don't share a common interest in them." In his hands materialized the strangest weapons the Arians ever saw. They looked like guns, but they were covered—and shot—crystal ammunition. The short one brought forth a sword shaped like a key.

A Keyblade, Sayeh reasoned in her head, the word familiar and foreign on her mute lips simultaneously.

The Wise Men appeared threatened, fearful, huddled in a corner like small children in their oversized nightgowns. The Guard formed a semi-circle around them; protecting them was top priority.

"Steady, men," Captain Dastan warned, earning a sarcastic laugh from the eyepatch-wearing interloper.

"Roxas! Take out the Heartless." he said to his shorter partner, gathering into an offensive stance, "I'll show these idiots who they're dealing with."

All the Arians gasped as the interloper disappeared in thin air. Roxas, his accomplice, ran towards the Heartless and started working through them. The interloper materialized on the ceiling.

"Gotcha now!"

"Cover the Wise Men!" Dastan shouted. A few of the Guards Sayeh did not recognize summoned barriers that held over themselves and the Wise Men. The elderly men still flinched from the impact of the lasers on the shields. Those who did not or could not defend themselves in time were immediately struck and knocked on their backs, stunned.

Sayeh felt as if her body had been taken over. It knew things she did not: what to do, where to move, and why. Before she thought about it, she beckoned a Zero Gravity spell and captured the bullets fired at her. She only knew afterward, when the sound of impact surrounded her, but she felt nothing.

While she had the bullets, Sayeh turned them towards the unsuspecting interloper, and fired them back—a taste of his own medicine. He fell back on the ceiling, grimacing.

"Oh yeah?"

"Y-yeah!" She returned, realizing she hit him.

"Attack!" Dastan shouted, and the Guard unleashed a flurry of elemental magic—Aero, Thundara, Blizzara, and the like. Many were confident that they landed damage on the enemy.

But they were wrong.

When the smoke cleared from the ceiling and small pieces finished crumbling down, nothing remained. They could not have blown him to pieces.

The Main Hall darkened as they heard him yell from somewhere high, "New backdrop!"

From the darkness flew a storm of projectiles, all of which the circle of Guards defended against, and the defenseless were struck down. Some stayed down this time, groaning in agony. He was no doubt a powerful foe.

"Sayeh, I'm going after the short one. Maybe it'll throw off the eyepatch guy!" Navid shouted in passing, readying his halberd as he went in for the kill. Roxas overhead, and as soon as Navid tried to sweep Roxas' feet, he jumped. Roxas swung his Keyblade vertically, and caught Navid in the shoulder with one crushing blow.

Idiot. He did not think that through.

Their numbers were quickly shrinking as the enemy picked them off, not even breaking a sweat. Sayeh shuddered at the scenario.

The interloper gingerly fell to the floor, radiating a white glow. "I gotcha now!"

Suddenly levitating, he became an endless supply of projectiles in every direction. He spun around and around, eliminating all but a handful of Guards in front of the Wise Men. Fear shined brightly in their wide eyes, their brittle forms turning more rigid as time passed.

Sayeh saw stars. She had been knocked back because she was not quicker than the enemy. Her body hurt, obviously unused to pain. Maybe she could use that new spell she learned. Maybe…

"…H-h-heal…"

Enveloped in a green radiance, her blood rushed quicker, the healing wounds syphoning the oxygen in her lungs. Instantly, the pain was gone. She rose back to her feet, and with renewed morale, stared her enemy in the eye.

The enemy chuckled, "Ain't that a look. Kids these days, and their constant glaring. No need to be so upset!"

"Are you kidding me? You came to our land and attacked us!" Sayeh snapped. "We had enough problems with these…_Heartless_ attacking us nightly!"

"Aw, cheer up kiddo! I said I was going to show you who you're messing with. Now you know."

Roxas joined the enemy's side before Sayeh, disinterested in it all. He had effectively eliminated the Heartless as his comrade had the Arians. She readied herself for the both of them; though she knew it was near impossible for her to win. A standoff ensued, the silence pregnant with tension. All of a sudden, both of their weapons disappear and a portal opens behind them.

They replaced their hoods as the eyepatch man called, "Be good now! We'll be back later."

The men were gone.

None of the Arians moved for nearly a minute until Captain Dastan piped up. "What the hell just happened?"

"If I had a clue…" Sayeh replied shrugging. "But we need medics, and now."

* * *

><p>That afternoon, Captain Dastan met with Sayeh, informing her of the Wise Men's gratitude. "They want to have dinner with you tonight, 'in the glow of your unwavering valor'," he repeated with a smile. Eyepatch did a number on many, but Dastan made it through mostly unscathed. A small bandage covered a fading mark on his face. "I will have Navid come get you when it's time."<p>

"Okay," she answered, and as she turned to walk away, Dastan said one more thing.

"You really stuck it out this morning. I was surprised—we all were—and it looked like you applied a new spell. Congratulations. Keep up the good work."

"Yes sir." She left with a smile.

As the sun set on the day, Sayeh finished recounting the event to Azara. Of course, the blonde was astonished, but she was also relieved. Azara sincerely thought it was a hostile takeover. Together, they planned what Sayeh would wear for the night; a deep blue, billowing tunic decorated with gold brocade hung in front of their closet with matching, fitting trousers. The only thing left to coordinate was jewelry.

Sayeh groaned, "Why did your mom give me this, knowing I have no jewelry to match it? Nearly all but one piece of jewelry is silver! I need gold!" She motioned to the bracelets on her wrist.

Her friend hung upside down on her bed and pulled a large chest from underneath. It was filled with an assortment of heavy jewelry, ranging from simple to colorful and encrusted. "What do you want? I have hair ornaments, too! I know you like your chignons."

Azara reached in and fished out a bun pin set with the bluest sapphires Sayeh had ever seen. In addition, the extensions of the bun pin were bright, white pearls strung together to clip into the sides of the head.

"I couldn't," Sayeh murmured immediately. "That might be too fancy, maybe something else, just some earrings—"

"Turn around," Azara asked, and Sayeh did. The blonde secured all the pins in their proper places, and held a hand mirror behind the brunette as she stood in front of their vanity. "You like?"

At first, Sayeh did not answer. "Mm, it's _okay_…"

"Silly!" Azara punched her in the arm as someone rapped on their door. "Who is it?"

"Navid!"

"Oh, crap," Sayeh whispered under her breath. "I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready!"

Azara snatched the tunic and trousers from the hanger and delicately pulled the former over the other girl's head. The other girl shoved her feet through the pant legs and hopped in place in attempts to get the pants up. Azara then found a matching set of chandelier earrings and stuck them in Sayeh's ears. The latter protested in pain, but as soon as Azara finished, she shoved Sayeh to the door and told her good luck as she opened the door.

Navid traded glances with the girls, standing in the doorway in a knee-length jacket suit. The fabric was champagne-colored and without pattern. "Good evening ladies."

"Hi," Azara said sweetly. "Off you go, Sayeh!"

The walk up the hill was initially quiet, until Navid complimented Sayeh's dress. "You look nice. Blue is a pretty color on you."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You did good today."

"So I've heard," she recalled that Roxas had nearly obliterated him in one blow, "How's your shoulder? Were they able to heal it properly?"

Navid nodded.

Why was this so awkward for Sayeh? She could not find anything to say, despite staying current with Arian news and the eventful things in her classes. In fact, the dinner and the walk back to her room were just as quiet on her part. Even the Wise Men commented on her muteness, creating a lighthearted joke at her expense but grateful to her nonetheless.

Navid and Sayeh stood in the hallway outside her door. As she made to knock, Navid pulled grabbed her arm. She looked at him questioningly, just in time for him to attempt a kiss on the lips. His crashed onto the corner of her mouth for merely a second before she pushed him away. "Oh my—what is wrong with you?"

He was instantly red all over. Sayeh, however, was blue. "I'm sorry…I just—I think you're really cool, and—"

"Cool? Then you should've said that, not just kiss me! Weird!" Realizing how harsh she sounded, she calmed herself and added, "I think you're nice and everything, but you're coming on a little too strong. Can we try being friends first? We can have lunch together, and stuff…"

"Yeah…I guess so," he muttered. "Sorry. I didn't mean to come off weird…night." Without hesitation, he took off down the hall towards his own room, wherever that was.

Before Sayeh could knock, the door flew open and Azara stood there with an angry look on her face. "Strange, right?" She thought Azara was angry for her.

* * *

><p><em>You found Roxas. I've been looking everywhere for him. <em>

"Why?"

_Roxas can bring my friend back._

"Roxas? Who was the other guy, since you can see everything going on in my head?"

No answer.

* * *

><p><strong>I was trying to find something to create conflict in the world of Aria, specifically for Sayeh. I figured that would be enough, a silly love triangle ought to distract the readers! If you couldn't figure out who Eyepatch was, I did a crappy job. It's Xigbar. This is during 3582 Days, where Roxas is often accompanied by another OrgXIII member during his missions. I've just always thought of Xigbar as one of my favorites, because of his accent and his backstory with Terra and Xehanort. And hey, Sayeh leveled up, right? Getting that Cure on~**


	4. Roxas

Chapter 4: Roxas

* * *

><p>Sayeh awoke to Azara's singing, a song from the Valley about the river which ran through it. Her friend only sang this song when she was readying herself to return to the Valley. The way she sang was mystical, exotic, and haunting simultaneously. How her voice wove through different pitches and microtones always gave Sayeh the chills. There was little room for jealousy after the hypnosis Azara could place her under.<p>

She sat up in her bed and said, "You must be very excited to be singing such a melancholic song."

The blonde, still in her sleeping clothes, dropped some tunics in her traveling trunk and looked at her. "What's it to you?"

Sayeh's smile turned into a small frown. "Is something wrong? Sorry if it's 'cause I interrupted."

"I-it's fine," Azara said, returning to her packing.

"It's so early," the other girl remarked, glancing at the clock. "Maybe I should start my packing too, so after class we can leave—"

For a second time, Azara stopped what she was doing. She was fidgeting with her fingers, a sure sign that whatever she was about to say, Sayeh would not like. "I…I'm going home alone for the mid-semester break."

An ache heavily hit Sayeh in the chest. The two of them always visited Azara's family for the holidays, never just one. She felt it had to do with the way Azara had been acting lately, and perhaps it was best that she allow Azara to see her family alone. After all, it was _her_ family. "Oh, okay…well, make sure you say 'Hi' to your family for me."

"Yeah, sure," came as a curt reply. Why was she so mad?

The day flew by with surprising speed. Every class Sayeh went to contained only a handful of people; even the cathedral was hollow with all the people going on vacation or returning home for the break. For Sayeh and many other Blessed, this was the only home she had. When the break was over, there would be more Blessed people in the school, using the remaining bit of the semester to orient themselves to their new lives. For once, Sayeh would be here to see the frightened faces of children between five and eight years, terrified of what the future held for them as she did at their age.

Her room was just as empty, and she could not decide whether the Dining Hall would be more populated than her room at this time.

She searched for Captain Dastan on the Wall, knowing he would stay during the break. Asking for Navid, she was surprised to learn he, along with the other guys she had met, had taken a train across the Salt Desert to go to the beach. "And it's up to you whether you want to spend your break on the Wall. It's important to relax every once in a while," he said as she made to leave.

Sayeh let out a big sigh and with it, the disappointment of the entire scenario. There was no one at the school to spend time with.

Since the Blessed Harvest would not begin until the next day, Sayeh decided to visit the Mountain Square. She hardly left the school except in situations like these, and because she was soon to be a Guard, it would suit her interest to know what she was protecting. Unlike the school, everyone around here was slower, more relaxed and at their own pace. The women forwent their prayer scarves, throwing it over their shoulders, but never on their heads. Their tunics were less colorful than Sayeh's, so they would know she was from the school.

Many of the people would avoid eye contact with her, knowing that she would bear witness to the Harvest and do nothing about it. What they did not know was that her family was once in their position; her sentiments were more aligned with theirs than the people who administrated the school and the Mountains.

Meandering through the throngs in the marketplace, she caught sight of items she would love to have—potions for those arduous battles, more bangles and protective items to enhance her magic or her defensive skills, even new clothes to suit the oncoming wintry season.

A tug on her clothes notified Sayeh of a small girl, obviously a child sent by the parents on the street to beg. The child could barely get a word out before a burly, unrecognizable Guard shoved the little girl on, warning her to never beg in the marketplace again.

"You didn't have to do that," Sayeh said to the Guard as he tried to walk away.

"Oh yeah?" He sneered back. "Why don't you run along and enjoy your holidays, twerp."

"For your information, I'm not some twerp—I'm a Guard, just like you."

"And I'm one of the Wise Men!" He said, hooting and hollering as he continued walking away.

"Jerk."

He whirled around. "What's that?"

"You're a jerk! I'm not afraid of you!"

"Keep talking, shorty, and you'll get jailed faster than you can spell the word 'jerk'! Keep trying me!"

"Whatever," she mumbled under her breath, and went the other way, despite his ongoing insults.

Returning to the flow of the market, she spied a bracelet charm laying among several other jewels, possibly brought back from the Beyr Coast province, where Navid went for his break. It was a star-shaped shell of glistening blues and iridescent purples. She decided to inquire about the price.

"Sir, how much is this?"

The vendor had his back to her, but turned around. Wearing overalls and weather-beaten clothes hinted at his primary occupation, sailing. He squinted at her because his eyesight was waning, rather than any harsh feelings he may have harbored for people like her. "I can't say you won't be able to afford it, 'Gheli girl." The insulting slang referred to her school. "800 munny."

"800? That's ridiculous, even for a 'Gheli girl'. How do you expect to sell anything today?"

"Darlin', when you make fine jewelry from rare ocean minerals to sell to people who never leave the mountains, you make the money."

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. They landed on something familiar—a black coat, with the hood pulled overhead.

He was short.

Roxas.

Sayeh rushed through the crowds, and darted in front of Roxas, catching him with a hand on the shoulder. "Roxas. Come to hold someone hostage again?"

He flinched with surprise, as did she. Everyone stared at them, apprehensive of both the Blessed girl and the interloper. "…"

She saw the Guard looking her way again, and this time he was definitely annoyed by her presence, if he was not already.

"Nevermind. Follow me; this isn't a safe place for either one of us."

After finding and alleyway, Roxas shrugged off his hood and faced the rookie Guard girl with the scarf on her head. "Why did you want me to follow you? You can't just insult someone and then ask them to do something…"

"Like I said," she answered with folded arms, leaning against the brick wall of an abandoned store, "It wasn't a safe place. We both know you aren't from around here, let alone this world. Where's your partner?"

"He didn't come with, today," she could tell Roxas was trying to be as vague as possible.

This was the first time she looked him over—he had this messy blonde hair, like Navid's but lighter; and his eyes were very blue. Unlike Navid, though, his face was set in a frown of discomfort. He could attack her or leave her in the alleyway. She knew this.

But something within her urged her to speak to him. To make contact with him. Half of her urge made her want to punch him, to get rid of him and wipe him from existence. There was little hatred behind it. The other half was filled with the desire to befriend him, spend time with him and catch up like old pals. These feelings were overwhelming Sayeh in the back of her mind, but she tried her best to shove it down, while she still had the chance of speaking to him one-on-one.

"Why do you wear that coat? Don't you know you stick out like a sore thumb?"

"I don't know, I just do." Now his arms were folded across his chest, and his vague answer was laced with as much irritation as the scowl on his face.

"Look," Sayeh started, "I have questions. I live here. You do not. If you're gonna come into my world and try to handle our problems for us, you should answer up to one of us, at the very least."

"I don't think that's any of your concern what I do. And you shouldn't be picking fights with someone who can beat you blindfolded!"

She watched him summon his weapon out of thin air; in a quick sleight of hand, fire sat in her palm. That never happened before.

Roxas lunged in her direction, and she readied to hurl the fire at him, until she understood. He was not after her, but what was behind her. A Heartless wailed before collapsing into nothingness, a small heart floating up towards the sky.

She quieted the flame in her grasp, mumbling a word of gratitude. "I could've handled it."

"Right," he jabbed with a smile, the large key disappearing again. "Look, can we call a truce? I'm starving."

"Oh yeah. That's the lamest reason to call a truce—"

A gurgle erupted from Roxas' stomach. Immediately he clutched at it, and his face dropped. "I'm begging you…"

For the first time in the past few weeks, Sayeh exploded into a fit of laughter. All of the tension built up in her body slowly eased its way out through a variety chuckles and giggling. A boy who could easily beat her and the Heartless to a pulp was trying to call a truce, over a babbling stomach. The peculiarity of it all. "Fine, I'll take you to some nice spots. But you _have_ to get out of that cloak! Wear something else!"

"Okay." As he unzipped the black cloak, darkness fell away. Underneath was a checkered vest with a red collar, and black pants with gray layering from the mid-thigh down. Roxas still looked foreign, but it would pass in her world better than the black cloak.

"Now, there are a few really good places with the heartiest soup you'll ever taste! Perfect for the inbound weather…"

* * *

><p>"That was the best ever. Thanks, Sayeh. You're not that bad," Roxas said, rubbing his belly as he sat on a bench in the clock's square.<p>

She half-grimaced, "You're welcome. Thanks for almost emptying my wallet. Had I known you eat more than an army…"

He laughed. "Say, tell me about this place. How come you can do magic, but a lot of other people can't?"

"Well," Sayeh took a seat next to him and readjusted her scarf. She knew the soup would keep her warm for a while, but not forever. "It's a world that has entered a time of peace in the last few decades. People who live in the mountains like myself are not meant to get along with those in the Valley, or even near the Beyr Ocean across the Salt Desert. I can do magic because I was picked by the Divine like several others to defend our world. All of the Wise Guard can do some type of magic, and often have additional combative skills. My focus seems to be darker magic, like Magnet, Gravity, and Stop. I learned the Cure spell while fighting your eyepatch-wearing partner."

Roxas did not respond to the mentioning of his partner. Instead, he thought of both encounters they shared and realized she forgot a spell. "You summoned Fire in the alleyway about an hour ago. I guess that's new, too?"

She looked to her hands with a smile. "Yeah, I've _never_ been able to do it before. I'm surprised I didn't notice."

"Maybe that was the trick."

* * *

><p>The Royal Guard were strewn across the floor asleep.<p>

"What an awful, ugly thing you have done!" Zal, the oldest of the Wise Men exclaimed. "Do you realize you have upset the balance of a world that only barely made peace in my lifetime? I was born during bloodshed, and perhaps I will die during it as well!"

"All I did was release some big, bad Heartless into the major cities," Eyepatch replied, "I'm just trying to get this party going."

"But why?" Another Wise Man, Darmon asked.

Eyepatch opened a portal and flipped up his hood. "Wouldn't you like to know? Just do as I say, and everything will work out. Don't, and you'll find yourselves in quite the pickle." With that, he disappeared yet again.

Parsa rubbed his graying temples. "I cannot believe this. It was already bad with the 'Heartless'," the word waddled from his tongue in an awkward fashion. "Now we have these cloaked men ordering us around, as if we are theirs to command! What to do?"

"We do as he says," Zal answered, "Perhaps we can find a way out in the future. We do not have the option, or the fortitude, to resist."

* * *

><p><strong>So things are getting crazy. I bet you're wondering, where's Riku? He'll be showing soon, like the next chapter! I just wanted to set a more interesting scene. Originally, Xigbar's plan was different for the world. According to 3582 Days, Xion and Roxas are holding parts of Sora, which causes him to sleep. So I would think that they would try to rush in collecting hearts from the Heartless. Even if they weren't, I figured the plan would be something plausible; there is no Princess of Heart from Aria, so what would they need with the world? Also, there is no shipping going on between Sayeh and Roxas. 'Cause that's not what I'm going for…**

**Please review! Just know that even the simplest of reviews makes more people look at this story. If you really like it, you should let everyone know—even if you don't, and think that there is several things missing (like I think half the time), say something! It's a winning situation for everyone!**


	5. More Black Coats

Chapter 5: More Black Coats

* * *

><p>"…and so, it is with heavy hearts that we, the Wise Men, have decided to send the Guard to our neighboring provinces, the Beyr Coast, and the Valley. Any questions?"<p>

Parsa stood with the other Wise Men in the Clock Square, draped in fine clothing fit for royalty, in front of a mix of the impoverished, the well-to-do, and those in-between. Even those who lived comfortably could hardly dream of owning such things the Wise Men did, and that made them jealous; however, they still held sanctimonious attitudes towards the less fortunate despite standing side-by-side, covered in sheer veils of snow falling from the sky.

In fact, a less fortunate woman raised her shivering hand before shouting towards their stage, "So you take our children every year—the so-called 'Blessed', and send them as invaders to other provinces?"

"Do the provinces even _know_ you're doing this?" Someone else shouted in the crowd.

Suddenly, unrest broke out. Everyone was unsettled, and a constant buzzing of dissent flitted all around.

A Guard demanded silence, and the crowd fell silent.

"The younger ones will stay and protect the Wall," Darmon, another Wise Men, answered. "It will show that our defense means less to us than our neighbors by sending them our finest. As for the provinces, it is better to aid than to watch them suffer at the hands of the Heartless. We're not invading, simply offering help."

Again, the masses disrupted with skepticism.

"This concludes the meeting," Zal, the eldest Wise Men waved a hand in the air. "Stay safe, my fellow Arians."

As the Wise Men left, the crowd did not clap. They continued to be upset, and rightfully so, in Sayeh's opinion. She was just as unsure as they were what it meant for her. Scanning the crowds for familiar faces, Sayeh spotted Professor Banu, and immediately called to her.

"Isn't it crazy? I know you're good friends with them all and everything, but I can't believe this was the proposed plan," Sayeh said to Banu, both readjusting their prayer scarves on their head. The younger woman followed Banu despite not knowing where the older was going.

Banu answered, "I thought I wouldn't live to see another war, yet here we are."

"It's sad. And scary," the younger noted. A tangible weight fell in her heart as she thought of the Heartless, the 'invasion' about to take place, on top of the ongoing annual Harvest.

She knew what it was like, being snatched up. They both did. The Guards knocking on the door, with a warrant for any child possessing gifts, claiming it was better for everyone. Her mother, empty-faced—Sayeh could no longer remember the features—screaming for her not to go. It was something their society believed they could turn a blind eye to, every year; now it just upset Sayeh.

"How unfortunate," Banu's voice snapped Sayeh back into reality, "Well, at my age, there's nothing to do but rot at home with a book and a splendid cup of tea. Have your studies improved? Have you been practicing? I have heard your friends left you behind."

Sayeh cringed at the last line.

'I heard your friends left you behind.'

"Yeah, but it's okay…I guess."

Banu smiled at the girl, now covered in snow that fell from the top of her head scarf. "I, too, am lacking in company. Perhaps you could join me in my home this evening? The fire is warm, and there's less snow inside than out." She referred to her affinity for ice, the very reason why she wasn't as bundled as the rest of the folk in the Clock Square.

* * *

><p>A warm fire indeed blazed beyond the hearth in the corner. Tenderly, Banu stoked it while she counted time in her head, attempting to estimate when the cookies would be finished.<p>

"You didn't have to make me cookies, Professor," Sayeh sat awkwardly on the sofa, her knees together and her hands clutching one another in her lap. Her scarf was still on her head. "I'm actually not that hungry—"

"I may not be a mother, but I am no fool when it comes to children," Banu snapped. "And outside of class, you are allowed to call me by name. Take your scarf off. Make yourself at home."

Looking around, one could see all the places Banu had been while serving on the Guard. There were old faded pictures of her with friends or comrades at the Beyr Coast, eating at a well-known restaurant in the Valley, and more. Small tokens of friendship hung on the wall or from the ceiling like a baby's bedding mobile, or even a windchime.

"It seems like you've traveled a lot."

"Most certainly." Banu did not elaborate further. Instead, she approached the oven and withdrew the cookies, the sudden smell of chocolate and vanilla wafting towards Sayeh's nose. They smelled nothing like the cookies served in the Dining Hall. These cookies were better.

Sayeh took a few of the cookies from the tray after Banu gently chilled them with her ice magic. The gooey texture of the chocolate mixed with the crunchiness of the baked dough made the young girl smile. It was enough to forget the atmosphere of this awkward encounter.

After idle conversation that lasted barely an hour, Sayeh asked permission to leave. "I need to study for Dastan's upcoming test," she lied, knowing she wanted to see if Roxas had made his way to this world. She could not tell Banu about him for obvious reasons.

"You are welcome here any time, Miss Sayeh," Banu said at the door, allowing her to go. "I would like to see you back here tomorrow. I could help you study, as well."

The way back to the dorms was covered in ice, blanketed in snow, and disturbed by the wind. Sayeh's vision range was best before an arm's length in front of her, but she could discern shapes and people she recognized. A barely visible black coat much taller than Roxas stood of to the side, probably looking for his partner as she was.

"Hey, Eyepatch!" she called, drawing her scarf closer around her neck. "If you're looking for Roxas, he hasn't shown up around here in a few days. But I figured…" She stopped talking.

They weren't touching, but there was a buzz coursing through her body, a sort of sickening, weighty power suddenly overcoming her. Was it searching her over?

Sayeh took the energy she used to summon her magic and tried to force it back out at this Black Coat—it could not have been Eyepatch; he would have shown his face already. As much as she pushed, nothing came out.

The dark energy licked at her heart and her mind, then retreated as quickly as it had come.

"Dude, what's your problem?" She snapped, despite feeling a sliver of fear growing quickly inside her. "Roxas isn't here. That's all I said."

"So he's revealed himself to the people of the world," this Black Coat said, his voice less derisive than Eyepatch's, and barely higher in pitch. He sounded much younger than Eyepatch.

"Yeah, so? And you don't sound like Eyepatch Guy. Who are you?"

"That's because I'm not," he ignored the last question. He threw his hand out, and although she could not see it, she knew he was opening a portal to…wherever they go.

"Stupid…"

* * *

><p>The next day, Sayeh was about to return to Banu's house, when she was, again, approached by two Black Coats.<p>

"Not again," she murmured to herself, irritated after the night before.

"Hey, Sayeh!" Roxas shoved off his hood. "How are things?"

She tried to hide her irritation. "Fine! What about you? You brought a friend with you."

"This is Xion," he replied as the other one removed her hood. She sported a black bob and a wide smile.

"I'm so happy to meet you, Sayeh. Roxas told me about his first few visits here."

"Likewise." Now was as good a time as any. "I'm meeting more of you by the second. I thought I saw Eyepatch last night, but it wasn't. He asked about you, Roxas. Hope you didn't go missing without telling your friends—"

Both of their faces dropped. They looked at one another, exchanging the same sour expression.

Xion whispered low to Roxas, "We RTC'd early yesterday…do you think it's the impostor?"

"Impostor?" Sayeh repeated.

"N-nothing!" the other girl flushed with panic, then turned her back so Sayeh could not hear as much. The last Sayeh heard was, "Maybe it was Demyx trying to escape duties…"

Sayeh sighed. "No worries guys. I know you have business to conduct with our Heartless…" She was suddenly reminded of the town meeting the day before, how there were so many Heartless abound all over the provinces. "Hey, were you told about how big our Heartless infestation has gotten?"

"Yeah," Xion answered, "That's why we're here."

"Please, take care of it, will you? I would hate if a war broke out over this…"

"A war?"

"Long story. I'll catch up with you guys later!"

As soon as she made it through the door, Professor Banu shoved a hot mug in her hands, instantly commanding her to drink.

After one sip, "Blegh! It's so gross!"

"Finish it. It's an ether." The teacher, with her long gray hair unkempt from slumber, stared with a crazed look at Sayeh until the whole bottle was downed. She summoned a force field around the two of them after saying, "Good! Now show me your fire power!"

"Are you crazy—Whoa!" Sayeh dodged a huge chunk of ice coming towards her in such a small space. Why would Banu be doing this? What was the purpose of this?

A ball-sized piece of ice hit Sayeh in the dead center of her forehead, knocking her to the ground.

"Ow!"

"We don't have all day!"

"I don't…understand!" Sayeh held her forehead with one hand, and waved the other one outward, casting Fira. Fire spewed forth, instantly melting the new ice ball Banu had readied. Banu deflected it, but at least she had ceased her onslaught of Blizzaga. "What the heck was that for?"

"You should always be ready for the enemy to attack," Banu said in an almost sagely manner, before releasing the force field and returning to making breakfast. "Have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready."

The girl realized that maybe her teacher was stranger than she let on.

After breakfast, they discussed the contents of the chapters Dastan wanted his class to read. They also went over the notes she had taken on the Heartless that populated their world, from the most common to the rarest, and usually, most powerful. Sometimes Dastan was dead on, but other times Banu noted he neglected to mention more information. "Then again, I've been fighting them for over a decade. Some tea, too."

Sayeh nearly spat it out.

"Yes, it's a bitter tea, with the intent of increasing your magical ability."

"Again, why?"

Banu glared at Sayeh as if it was a stupid question. She pulled her ratty, gray hair into the usual bun, and sat at the table, pushing eggs and more onto the girl's plate. "I only wish for you to succeed."

"I can if I stay in school." What a typical, naïve response, Sayeh realized.

The old woman's eyes drifted to the wall of photos as she bit her lip. Her gaze returned to the food and she half-smiled when she dragged some of her own food to her plate. "Yes, if only it was that easy, girl. Many of my comrades and friends would still be alive. And the people that mattered most would be upholding the values of our society that we often forget, especially our politicians."

"You have the power to sway them, if anybody," Sayeh said in between bites. "You know them best."

"Yes, but even on these matters they won't listen. Something is wrong. It has something to do with those people who stalk around in black coats, I just know it."

The hair on Sayeh's nape stood on end. She hoped that Banu would not link her with them, especially if the latter looked at them in a negative light. Gently, she said, "Maybe they're just here to help us with the dirty work of getting rid of the Heartless."

"If that were the truth, then the black coats would not have attacked the Wise Men."

"I guess you're right…" As much as she did not want Banu to be.

After spending the day at Banu's in what seemed like the eternal crash course on the Wise Guard, Sayeh thought it best to visit the showering compound before retiring for the night. She made it back to her dorm to get the bathing essentials, then trekked through five yards of snow to the showering compound. How nice it would be to feel the hot water running through her hair…

Sayeh scrubbed her hair and body clean before rinsing. Reaching for the shaving cream, she decided it was time to harvest the hair on her legs. She cringed upon grasping exactly how long she neglected her "female duties" as Azara jokingly called it, and readied the razor.

In the next showering stall pattered in a person who gave a long sigh and switched on the showerhead.

She rinsed the razor before starting another line up her leg.

The neighboring stall was filled with grunts and sighs of relaxation. Someone apparently missed showering.

More importantly, a _he_ missed showering.

Sayeh resumed her shaving only after locking her stall. The showering compound was co-ed, but usually the guys waited until the girls finished for fear of being humiliated or beaten up. The locks sufficed when girls traveled solo, or when anyone felt any lack of safety.

Suddenly, she nicked herself on her knee out of neglect and instantly gasped in pain. The red-tinted water slowly mingled with the neighbor's into the drain between their stalls. It was embarrassing to say the least, but Sayeh internally mumbled the Cure spell to heal it instantly.

Just when she thought it could not get any worse, she felt the same feeling from the night before. Someone was probing her with energy, the same humming feeling that nauseated her. She wrenched the shower knob to the "Off" position, wrapped herself in a towel and robe, and bolted for the dorms despite the cold weather. "He better hope I don't get sick or the next time I see him, I'll send more than just buzzing through him!" She angrily grumbled, almost to hide the embarrassment of the encounter from herself.

The next day marked the return of most students, if not all. The Harvest was complete after three days; bereft parents and students alike sat in their old and new homes, weeping about the losses. Sayeh had already seen so many of them coming from the dorms attached to the school, where the young kids could be watched more closely by professors and Guards.

A train meant to arrive early morning did so punctually, and as she hurled her bags onto the platform, Azara stepped from the train, panting. She did not expect to see her roommate and friend, Sayeh, waiting for her. Instead, she anticipated her being angry for leaving her behind during the break. A soft smile sat on Sayeh's face, her ponytail visible underneath her prayer scarf. The chill of the morning had her hands in the pockets of her coat.

"Hey," Azara mumbled. She felt awkward around Sayeh for the way she treated her. "Listen, about the break I'm sor—"

"Don't worry about it," Sayeh held a hand up. "I don't even know why you were mad in the first place…yeah, why _were_ you?"

Azara's cheeks burned a red that contrasted with the white surroundings. The train slowly scooted away before breaking into a high-speed chug. "That night, when you went with Navid to the Wise Men's place, I looked out the peephole of the door and saw him kiss you. I…was jealous."

"Gross."

"What?"

"I said, 'gross'. I told Navid right after that I didn't like him!" Sayeh chuckled as she swung a bag over her shoulder. "If you want him, he's all yours. I have zero interest!"

"That's a relief," Azara said to herself. "And here I thought we were going to have an all-out brawl over some guy."

"Once you get to know him, he's a dork. He'll probably come back with the boys tomorrow. Otherwise, he won't get his papers done for class, and he's not copying me!"

Azara smirked at her friend from behind.

* * *

><p>"Dude, I got sunburnt!" Navid, a natural blonde, looked like a human carrot compared to the other, sun-kissed boys at lunch. "I sorta fell asleep while I was sunbathing."<p>

"That's what you get, honestly," Cas muttered under his breath, while his brother Jesper snickered at the comment.

Cyrus reenacted the scene of which Navid awoke to his burning. "…And then he squealed like a girl! You may get skin cancer, just sayin'!"

"Like I really want that! Guess I have something to pray away when prayer time comes around."

"Hey guys," Azara and Sayeh greeted the rookie Guards at their table, for once. It may have miffed Sayeh that Navid instantly turned his attention to lash-batting Azara, but she did tell her friend she was not interested. She focused instead on Cyrus and company, asking about the trip.

Jesper replied to Sayeh while Cyrus recalled another part of the trip. "There were so many Heartless."

"Really?" Sayeh's brows flew up.

"We spent a lot of our time destroying them just so people could enjoy two hours on the beach, undisturbed. It was a nightmare."

"Definitely," Cas added, slurping his drink through a straw. "But here doesn't look any better. Look at these new kids."

Towards the back of the Dining Hall, kids shuffled around aimlessly. Some held trays of food, scanning the Hall with fretful faces as they wondered where they should sit, others too depressed to even eat. From time to time, a kid trying to hold back tears could be spotted in the throngs uncomfortably pulling at the collars of their shirts. The sight was noticeable, but not unbearable by those who had been through it themselves. Most of the wealthy students who had a choice in coming to the school disregarded the kids because they simply did not care enough.

Azara may have been one of few exceptions; while a human and a Blessed were typically paired together in the dormitories, not all of them got along as well as Azara and Sayeh. They spent time together, instead of simply greeting one another and turning in for the night, or sleeping over in a friend's dorm. These awful things Sayeh seemed to notice more by the passing days.

Suddenly, all the Blessed in the room shifted in their seats. They felt something move around them, but it was not a tangible sensation. One of the inconsolable kids let out a low moan that immediately turned into banshee-like shrieking. An aura of Aero magic surrounded the child, expanding, destroying tables and knocking nearby students into adjacent walls.

Panic abounded. Out of habit, Navid and Sayeh instantly launched themselves into the chaos and helping students away while the Guards from outside the Dining Hall rushed to the child's aid. However, even they were knocked back.

"Sayeh!" Navid called to her through the storm. "Do you think you can use a Stop spell on him?"

She nodded, focusing her magic on the squealing student in the corner. With a deep inhale, she summoned the energy and forced it out with the proper intention. The kid instantly froze and the wind tunnel dissipated in seconds.

"Why didn't the Guards think of that?" Someone asked in the background.

Someone else answered, "Navid _is_ a Guard!"

"Miss Aromazat!" Professor Banu flitted in, her hair in disarray and eyes wild. "Miss Aromazat! Spell-casting on other students is forbidden! You should have let the Guard handle it, as it is their duty!"

Sayeh smiled as Banu assessed the situation and understood that the girl had done everyone a favor. No one, save for Navid, thought to cast Stop on the little boy before tables had been overturned and food splattered on the walls.

That afternoon, everyone joined in prayer within the Cathedral. As many prayed, Sayeh fought the urge to become distracted and lost by a long shot. She could hear the faint murmuring of voices overhead, which was unusual because the Wise Men never spoke in their box during the daily prayers. She tilted her head to look up and locked eyes with Eyepatch, whose faint grin spoke volumes of the damage to come.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Long time no…write. I had been working on my other story and trying to finish it up. It's over now! I tried to make it worthwhile, and people definitely appreciated it.<strong>

**This chapter is long than most of them, which is pretty good. I thought I would include more of the bad things going on in Sayeh's world. And check out that shower scene. Not your typical, though I'm sure it would be super embarrassing!**


	6. Riku

Chapter 6: Riku

* * *

><p>Something was wrong.<p>

Something was terribly wrong.

Why she kept it to herself, she had no clue.

Or maybe Sayeh did not know how to handle the information or what to do with it.

Her friends could always tell when she was thinking about it all, but she always waved it off as being preoccupied with classes. She ducked away and snuck into the library, or with Professor Banu. Those were the best bets.

Spending time in the library meant Sayeh could peruse all the historical and religious texts on the provinces. Maybe there was something, somewhere, about the Heartless. She also needed detailed information about the war, more than she had learned over the past six years of parochial schooling. Lastly, she wanted to know everything the library had on the Wise Men, past and present.

In a book published the year before:

…_Shadow Monsters_—meaning Heartless—_appeared in the world almost a decade ago. There is a limited understanding of them, as they can appear and disappear as they choose. Each different type is susceptible to certain types of casting, however, only veteran Blessed are capable of discerning these weaknesses. Information has been recorded in the field in hopes of controlling the population of these monsters…_

…_The nature of these beasts is heartless and savage; they attack only human beings, targeting them for their hearts. This is a theory based in the Wise Guard, as, upon defeat, the monsters would dissipate, releasing small, heart-shaped energy into the atmosphere. Emerging theories suggest these hearts may have an association to the Divine Heart…_

"Wow, that's interesting…" Sayeh mumbled to herself, flipping a page.

_Furthermore, citizens of Aria have reported, with the appearance of Heartless, noticing the disappearance of another nuisance, a different type of shadow monsters altogether, due to different markings and their flaming defeat. Other strange, creature-like phenomena include…_

There were other monsters, the book claimed. No wonder the Arians had always needed the Blessed, even going as far to mandate provincial round-ups of children with similar "gifts".

Sayeh gazed at the clock on the wall, which told her she had been there for hours with the same one book. She would come back every night for another book, until she had all her answers.

The next day was the same routine as before. She woke up, prayed with the community, went to class, visited Banu, stayed on the Wall until midnight, then slipped into the library again. It was incredibly easy to do so, considering the Guard watching the building slept heavily, feet propped on the counter with his cap tilted over his eyes and his folded hands resting on a fat belly. Since Sayeh had to go a floor higher to locate all the historical texts, she was able to light a small lamp with her finger, without any notice from the lethargic Guard.

This book spoke about the War of the Provinces. Each province wanted to keep their Blessed, raise schools, and create their own local army of guardians. The Wise Men of the time, all the same except for one, challenged that idea, believing that one school nestled in the Mountains would be enough for all three provinces. When the Harvest of that year began, the other two provinces resisted, and the distrust between all of them resulted in disloyalty to comrades, backstabbing, betrayal of families, and more. With creatures of the time adding to the problem, each province weakened considerably, fighting a war on three fronts.

Fortunately for the mountain region, their geography played in their favor; their forces were more difficult to exhaust than the other two. Many Blessed, of their own volition, gave up fighting their neighbors and focused on ridding their world of the strange creatures. Eventually, the leaders of the provinces met and discussed terms on the Harvest and the Blessed. The Mountain Province of Aria could build its school for incoming Blessed, regardless of origin, so long as the other provinces could have access to them as a resource and an invasion would not occur. Any Blessed or Guard entering another province on duty fell under that leader's jurisdiction.

Sayeh shut the book, noticing that sunlight crawled through the windows.

"Geez, Sayeh, you look awful," Navid said that night after finishing off a Heartless.

Dark purple circles rimmed her low-lidded gaze, accompanying the increasing paleness of her face. Her mussed hair was no longer tucked into a neat bun like she usually desired; Sayeh instead allowed her wavy hair to fall down to her waist with little care for brushing. "Yeah," she answered in an almost-slur, "I've been studying a lot lately."

"You've changed your mind about being a Guard? I know you were miffed about it, to say the least," Cyrus said, stretching his arms overhead.

"No, I still don't want to be a Guard. Just needed to catch up on some things I didn't understand in class."

"Oh, okay then—"

Jesper and Cas instantly fell into stance on the Wall when they saw the oncoming Heartless. "Here they come!"

Several small Heartless wearing jaggedly brimmed hats and sporting a variety of colors flitted over the Guard on the Wall. They moved quickly, and based on their color, they cast specific spells. Sayeh learned earlier in the night which weakness each had, and told her team to attack accordingly. She cast Gravity to bring them to the ground; the boys, each wielding their own type of casting, unleashed elemental fury on the flying Heartless.

"Did we up our magic ability through the night, or are we just that good?" Navid asked the others with a smirk. "'Cause we're serving them up quicker than the Dining Hall!"

"Did you come up with that all by yourself?" Cas jabbed, causing Navid to gab even more.

In the background, Sayeh was taking mental notes of all the Heartless they encountered, which was definitely over twenty tonight. She was used to seeing five in six days, versus the new record, bordering two hundred in a week.

She dragged her feet upstairs to the second floor of the library. Sayeh could care less if the Guard stirred, because it only took a Stop spell to help her exit the building. Tonight she would scan the books about the Wise Men, nothing more.

Farther back in rows of books, she leaned against a bookshelf with a heavy sigh. Her body ached from hours of "casual battles", as Navid dubbed them. She unwrapped her scarf, tossed it on the floor and kicked off her flat shoes. With the soft tufts of the carpet cushioning her every step, Sayeh almost thought about collapsing on the floor for the night. When she was found, she would, again, cast Stop and bolt.

Lying on the floor, she forced her limbs rigid in the most satisfying stretch of her life. Her wavy hair fanned out on the floor, her calf-length tunic following in similar fashion, as if all of her worries were bleeding out.

…

A humming sensation blasting through her sense alerted her to two things. First, she had drifted into a relaxing and well-needed napping session. Her body reacted slowly, giving her the idea that someone was sitting on her chest. When she looked, she found no one on top of her, but led her to the second alarming thing: that impostor was here.

"You're the Impostor!" Sayeh shouted, and suddenly she was reminded by the Guard's stirring that indoor voices were key in this time and place. This time, she could actually feel his overwhelming presence. It felt sickeningly sweet, stagnant, like still water.

"Maybe I am," he answered, "But I'm not that "Eyepatch" guy."

She immediately came to a stand, careful not to betray her residual lethargy. From her hands radiated the readied magic, in case Sayeh needed to strike. "Then who _are_ you?"

"Tell me why I can feel you, first."

His hood was pulled so far over his head, she could not see his expression to figure out if he was joking or not. Or, even, if he just some insane person impersonating her friend. "Heck, if I know. Honest answer—now you."

"Riku," he deadpanned. Was he just tossing any name her way? It was a foreign one, at least…

Sayeh circled him, and he barely moved in place. "Why are you following Roxas? Why are you pretending to be one of his friends?"

"It's a long story, one I don't have to tell you," he outstretched a hand away from the both of them, and a portal, likened to the ones Roxas and Eyepatch used, opened up. There was no way of seeing anything in there, and caused Sayeh to briefly wonder the use of those things.

When he made to leave, something in her desired him to stay. She could not understand why, but she grabbed for his sleeve anyway. "Wait!" She cried, almost desperately.

This time, they both stood stock still as the Guard woke from his nap. They heard his chair scoot away from his post, and the echoes of his boots thumping around the library. The dark portal immediately dissipated as Riku used his body to shove her in a corner.

She felt so small under him—his build was muscular, but by no means stocky like Cyrus was, and definitely not wiry like Navid. His scent surrounded her, a dark, musky one that held a faint citrus smell, but was pierced with the salty smell of sweat.

He must barely fit into that coat, she thought, and flushed at the very act. It made her heart beat faster, which embarrassed her because he was literally holding her in a corner on the second floor, which made her heart double in its intense speed. Half of Sayeh wanted it to be over, and the other half wanted to stay like this.

Boy, she must have been tired.

The Guard returned to his post and immediately gave himself back to slumber. With that, Riku released her from the corner. "You almost caused unnecessary contact," Riku said, motioning toward the Guard.

"Yeah, well," she muttered, straightening her tunic and throwing her scarf on her head, "You definitely initiated it!"

Riku ignored her comment, which was relative to the moment they just shared. Instead he referred again to the Guard. "I don't want your entire world knowing the very little you already do about the outside. It could be dangerous. Why are you even in here, anyway? Everyone else is asleep. Even that guy."

She turned away from him and stared out into the dark night through the window. "Heartless, as you outsiders call them, are a worse problem now. My province is looking to overpower the others because of it, I think. I've been up here doing research every night, trying to find a way to get rid of the problems."

He could see the pain in her eyes. Riku knew little of the world around him, but enough to know it was a mess. Tragedy and corruption plagued the average person. This girl, apparently, was more likened to a leashed dog than anyone wanted to admit. The world had not become bad enough to expose the leash, however. "You look like you need to rest instead. You should go home." He opened his dark portal, and was about to walk through when the girl caught him again.

"Wait!" she hissed. "You said you can…feel me? Is it all the time?"

"When I'm here," he answered slowly.

Her face adopted a mean scowl before she asked another question. "So if I meet up with Roxas, you'll know? Stay away from him, he's a good guy."

Riku turned toward the portal, so she could not see his smile. Of course Roxas was. He was a piece of Sora.

* * *

><p>"…you slept through three classes and three prayers today," Azara deadpanned when she saw Sayeh sitting up in her bed. "You're about to be late to your Wall gig, too."<p>

"Crap."

On her way to the outskirts of town, she thought about the night before, about Riku. He said he could feel her.

_I feel you. I know you're there..._

_This must be what it's like…_

_Maybe you're another connection to him, but then why do I feel you? Who are you?_

"Holy…" It dawned on her. He was the voice in her dreams. Riku was the guy who spoke about a connection between the two of them.

The realization distracted her during the entire shift on the Wall. When the rest of her team was battling Heartless, she was struggling to weaken them. This time they encountered a new one she gave the name "Orcus". Wondering why, Sayeh attributed it to the books she read.

The Orcus was a humanoid creature with a long tail, dark purple skin, and a blade likened to a pendulum. It reminded her of the first night on the Wall with the other large, humanoid Heartless, and knew it was already going to be a difficult match.

"Everyone, be careful, this one deals a lot of—"

Instantly, Cas and Jesper are knocked out. Cyrus tossed Thundara the Heartless' way, but regretted it immediately, when he saw the Orcus vigorously absorb the magic.

"What just happened, Say?" Cyrus looked at the girl, and while he was, the Orcus took advantage of the opening. Once invisible, it swept Cyrus from his feet using the pendulum sword. It looked painful; Sayeh was sure Cyrus saw stars. Sayeh shouted the Cure spell to the downed teammates, and three rose. "My Thundara didn't work…he absorbed it!"

"It strengthens the Heartless," Sayeh answered, not knowing where the information was coming from. Was this another magic trick, courtesy of Riku? "Be the distraction and the rest of us will take him down."

Cyrus was sturdily built, so taking some hits was less of a risk for him than the others.

"Navid!" Sayeh called. "Can you turn your Fira into a homing weapon?"

He dipped his head and concentrated the fire in his palm. Sayeh recalled she knew fire well, too, at this point, and wondered if she could do the same. Focusing on the sword—the Orcus was where the sword was—she bundled all the energy needed to make a successful Fira spell and projected it towards the Orcus. "Follow."

Both of the homing fires knocked the Orcus back into visibility, and caused all to cheer. "Anyone else who's decent at fire, you should help!"

* * *

><p>The room was pristinely white, with its white chairs, white table, even white flowers. In a chair scooted inches away from the table sat Naminé, crayon in hand, scrawling across vanilla paper semblances of memories. They were never exact, but she did not mind. Memories were always fuzzy, imperfect in the way you recalled them. Riku approached her from the side, overlooking the progress she was making in recreating and reordering Sora's memories.<p>

"I saw her again," he confessed. Naminé recognized the discomfort in his voice mingling with curiosity.

Gingerly, she placed the notepad and the crayon on the table. Naminé tugged at the lacy hem of her white dress that matched her surroundings, and gave Riku her full attention. "The girl from Aria?"

"Yeah." That was Riku, always quiet when it came to things that made him uncomfortable, like girls, Sora, and the darkness. It shocked Naminé to know that Riku, as handsome as he was, easily became nervous around girls. She joked with him about it once, asking if he was nervous around her; he snapped that she was a Nobody so there was nothing to be anxious about. Initially, Naminé's feelings were hurt, but Riku made up for it over time. They learned how to get along in three months' time.

"Do you feel her in your heart again?"

"Yeah."

"She didn't know why either, did she?"

"No," he answered. "But you do. Why ask her?"

Naminé bit her lip. "I wanted to see if she was aware of it. But only you were. Riku, I think I know what happened."

* * *

><p>Somehow, they all remained standing.<p>

Clothes were torn, limbs scraped but healing thanks to Sayeh, and various rhythms of panting surrounded them.

"I can't believe we made it through that," Navid said between pants, plopping down on the ground to rest his legs. "That was insane."

"Tell me about it." Joked Cyrus from behind him. "You okay, Say?"

Sayeh was quite the opposite. Her stomach threatened vomit, thrusting in on itself in her gut. Bent at the waist, she had her hands on her knees in case the threat was acted upon. Her stamina was crippled by the magic she slung in battle, combined with the fact that she chose to research every night in the past week over sleep. She remained quiet, save for catching her breath.

Jesper spoke up. "She hasn't slept in a few days. She has nothing left in her."

"And she's a girl."

"Oh, shut up. I know a few girls with good stamina."

"Of course you do, Navid." Cas snapped with narrowed eyes. He gently took an arm of Sayeh's and threw it over his shoulder. He was much taller than Sayeh, so he had to bend his knees to accommodate. "Sayeh, I'll take you home." Cas only got a nod in affirmation before slowly making his way off the Wall. Her shift was far from over, but she was useless if dead from exhaustion.

_I feel you. I know you're there..._

_This must be what it's like…_

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><p><strong>I tried to do some characterization here and there, and finally have them meet. I don't know what else to say other than review and let me know how I'm doing!<strong>


	7. Hitting The Wall

Chapter 7: Hitting the Wall

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><p>Navid called it "hitting the wall", though Sayeh called it hell. No ether, elixir, or potion could help her in the arena of physical condition. She had knocked herself out of a balance considered especially delicate for a young Blessed. Her sleep deprivation, skipping meals, and constant battles with the Heartless was enough to slam her face first into that metaphorical wall.<p>

Cas helped her to her room that night, handing her off to Azara. When asked why he was leaving so soon, he responded, "It's simple. She needs rest. She'll be fine afterwards."

But Sayeh started blowing chunks, and that meant she was no mild case. Cas and Azara took her to the infirmary as soon as they could.

"Well," one of the nurses said as she watched Sayeh's subdued form, "She has exhausted herself physically, hit the wall. It was too strenuous for her. Has she been missing meals, or maybe sleep? Both? No doubt, it'll take more than bed rest. Go to the Dining Hall and ask for the Reviving Special."

Azara and Cas returned with the meal requested in a to-go container, for when Sayeh woke up. The girl questioned, "What is 'hitting the wall'? What are the symptoms, I mean."

"Hypoglycemia, for starters," answered the nurse. "Weakness, fatigue—naturally, dilated pupils, nausea or vomiting, lack of coordination…and the list goes on. But the ones I pointed out are what she had."

"Why can't she just use a potion, or whatever?"

Cas replied this time, and from experience. While in training, he bet with Navid that he could finish a marathon before him. Navid won, but not without dragging Cas along to the finish line. "Ether is used to replenish one's magical force like electrolyte-containing beverages replenish what's lost from sweating. Potion heals superficial things, but cannot satisfy hunger or thirst. Even if she wasn't Blessed, she would need to eat to keep her strength up. Potions can only work to a point."

"Tonight, we'll watch over her," another nurse chirped with a smile. "Tomorrow she can return to her own bed for a few days! We'll tell her teachers."

* * *

><p>Roxas stepped out of the portal and into the rather gloomy-looking world. In the part that Sayeh lived in, everyone was safe, so long as they stayed inside the wall. Since he landed near the beach in another province, well, he saw that no one was safe.<p>

The last time he visited the coast here, it was warm and sunny, even in the winter. The waves crashed playfully on the shore, inviting tourists and natives alike to wade in its waters. Now the beach was covered in flitting shadows, purple and blue sands, the dark sky likened to the one in The World That Never Was. No one resided here any longer. This world was closer to darkness than it had been before, he noted. The rampant Heartless in this world were eating away at it, which meant that the entire world would turn into a mass of hearts collected by Kingdom Hearts. It already seemed so close, with the recent addition of Darksides, Invisibles, and Orucas to the general population.

Something in Roxas stirred uneasily; it felt wrong to ignore the condition of the world, as Saïx requested of the Organization. The world always lived close to darkness, but now it was to be swallowed, and that made him "sad". But he shoved the sensation away—it was a ghost of a feeling, and did not truly exist in him because he had no heart.

* * *

><p>"We've received several letters from the other two provinces, begging for our help before we could even request posting troops," Meer, a graying, austere Wise Men tossed the handful of letters onto the table between the rest of the council.<p>

Everyone present shared the same crestfallen expression. In their sincere efforts to keep another War from happening, they sent diplomats to the other provinces, many of which they never heard from again. The ones that returned subsequently transformed into the Heartless. Teams of Blessed were sent to both ends of the world, and returned with unbearable news. People were gone. Heartless reigned.

The Wise Men delayed telling the people of the unfortunate news because of the fragile connections between the citizens of each province. Most of them already knew, they were sure. And if they did not, it was because the Wall kept them safe, as it had for several years.

"We have to tell the people today. We cannot let this remain quiet any longer." The eldest of the Wise Men said.

* * *

><p>The clock ticked on for hours above her head. She did not bother going to the meeting. Its contents were revealed to her long before the Wise Men ever knew, and it was such a shame.<p>

The world is dying. The people were being turned into Heartless.

It was happening faster and faster. The rare sunny days of the winter shortened into all day and night were lit with a dim moon, barely visible in the freakish winter storms.

Frantically, she wrote all she knew about the girl in a letter, and then another letter as instructions for the girl. She had to. If she did not, all would be in vain.

Banu sighed with a tinge of relief. She felt him before she saw him. He was a young man, a teenager with a strong build, and a balanced mind. He reminded her so much of the Keybearer that came long before him, except he had more control over his darkness than his predecessor.

Thank goodness, he was here.

Banu bolted for her door and threw it open loud enough for the young man to hear.

"You, my child! Come here!"

The figure in black stood stock still, unsure if the old woman was really speaking to him.

She pointed a crooked old finger at him, beckoning him. "You, yes! You! Come in this instant!"

He hesitated before finally relenting in a slow gait towards the cottage-sized residence. Once inside, something flashed in his mind, an image that he soon realized was a memory of Sayeh's. She had been here before. The old woman had gray hair balled up on the nape of her neck, excessive baggage above her sagging cheeks and the most sorrowful eyes he ever looked into; she called herself Banu, and explained her role in her world. She was a teacher and a prophetess.

"I saw you coming to this world. I assume you know why."

Riku nodded from underneath his hood.

She explained everything. The history of the world, the Blessed, the Divine Heart—which, Riku noted, was the mysterious Kingdom Hearst. Banu spoke about the war as a power struggle, one the Mountain province won, and all provinces signed a treaty promising the Blessed would be used for the right reasons. "You know how we won? We won in the worst way. We cheated. We used the darkness to help strengthen our ability and overwhelm our enemies. We used the darkness to keep our Walls high and strong, still do."

"That's why this part of the world is not overrun like the rest of it."

"I told them it was all an awful idea. I _told_ them," she moaned. "The people have been raging all night in the square. I chose to stay home, since I already knew. I knew a long time ago, because that is what the Divine Heart wished to torment me with. I received the news of the death of my world."

When the old lady broke down into tears, Riku did not move to comfort her. He knew the pain of losing his, and wished to never again reunite with that memory. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and blew her nose in her pocket handkerchief. "You were called here by the Divine Heart. I saw it, several times. I acted immediately—when Sayeh needed a punishment I put her on the Wall. I thought it was easier that way. She fell to the darkness as expected, and you were there to lend her a piece of yourself, complete her, and bring her back to this world."

Well, Naminé was spot on, he noted internally. Wait until DiZ hears this.

"She's not the only one I molded. I put many of them together. You'll have to take them to another world—"

"Excuse me, ma'am," Riku interrupted. He tried to use the manners he remembered when he was younger, but he could still hear the irritation in his own voice. "I am not a delivery service."

"You're the only Keybearer this world has seen in over ten years. You have to be the one to take these people elsewhere. I have no other options!" Banu cried.

"Do you hear yourself? How do you even know all of this?" Riku now stood over her with balled fists. It upset him to hear this old lady telling him what to do. If it had nothing to do with waking Sora sooner, then he cared less about doing it.

"The Divine Heart—_Kingdom Hearts_—it tells me all this!"

"Oh yeah? Well, it should have told you, I am not a Keybearer!"

Her hard stare radiated insistence on the young person before her. She was not stupid in the slightest. Banu rose to eye-level with Riku and her pursed lips then opened. "_So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be._"

A gasp fell from under the hood. "How did you—"

"You have the ability to summon those portals. I have six people that need to be moved. This world will be reborn, but will not be restored without these surviving Arians. In a week's time, this world will be gone. You have less than that to make your decision. Remember that the world was looking for a chance to survive, and it looked to you."

Riku spent the rest of the day half-looking for Roxas—he knew he was there, in that world—and thinking about the old woman's words. Never before had he met a clairvoyant, but about a year ago, he could not imagine all the things he ended up facing. The fact that she knew the words spoken to him that one morning definitely put a point in her court. He never told anyone about it, and Sora was not the type to remember seeing the visitor several years ago.

"_You've got to keep this a secret, alright? Otherwise, all the magic will wear off."_

With a smirk, he half-wondered if the magic would wear off now.

* * *

><p>Nowadays, everyone preferred to hang out in Sayeh and Azara's dorm room. It was where Sayeh had to remain, or so the nurses said. She could walk and talk, all the normal things, but her magic was difficult to summon now.<p>

"Maybe it's resting within you, you know?" Cyrus wondered aloud, stirring his bowl of noodle soup before taking a large tangle into his mouth with a loud slurp. "You needed to rest and so did your magic!"

Jesper set his bowl on the floor in front of his crossed legs. "It's not unlikely. But it should've been back by now."

"Didn't she use a lot of energy?" Azara asked. When the boys nodded, she continued, "I read in class that people who aren't used to their growing powers have to undergo more recovery time."

"Well that sucks," Sayeh mumbled. "But oh well. I don't have to get on the Wall any time soon."

"None of us do."

"What?" Sayeh scanned everyone's faces. Each of them shared the same look of disappointment and sadness. Azara looked especially upset, fumbling with her hands and tearing bits of skin from her bottom lip with her teeth.

Quietly Navid answered her. "The world is ending. There's too many Heartless."

"That can't be true…"

"Unfortunately, it is." Cas picked his brother's bowl up and put it next to the other empty bowls on Azara's study. "Apparently, it was a long time coming. Karma, if you will, for what was done during the War. That's what all the elderly folks say, but no one will say why."

Sayeh recalled what the books in the library said about the War. The Mountain province could not be exhausted, and suddenly creatures were sprouting up left and right. The Heartless searched for hearts, so maybe the constant onslaught of people caused them to show up. A piece of that puzzle was missing, but she could not grasp it. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she said nothing on the topic. "So what do we do now?"

"I for one am not going to take it lying down!" Navid proclaimed loudly. "I am a Blessed, and a Guard! I am supposed to protect the people! Who's with me?"

There was silence.

"Hey, guys!"

"Navid, there's no way we can beat those things by ourselves. The Heartless are too strong, and there's too many of them."

"But we have to try!"

Jesper snapped at Navid, "What do you think we've been doing on the Wall, twiddling our thumbs? This is not something you should take so lightly, you idiot."

"Guys, guys! We have to calm down," Azara gently called. They stared at her angrily, but they relented because they knew she was right.

All the while, Sayeh plotted quietly in the corner, recalling all the resources the world had at its disposal, and also what was at hers. "Guys, I have an idea, but you'll have to trust me. I need either Cas or Jesper to go with me, since you're the strongest two of the bunch."

Cas trailed behind a stumbling Sayeh in the abandoned Clock Square. Gray ashes from the buildings aflame during riots earlier in the day floated with the snow, practically identical. The day, Sayeh now noticed, never shifted in the first place. The moon remained out; there was no sun. Darkness covered the landscape like a silent plague as it provided cover for the dark creatures out there. They were protected inside the walls. Outside was another story.

Since her powers had yet to return, Sayeh needed Cas with her to make the journey. She needed protection from her friend, in case they were attacked. In the event that he could not withstand the Heartless, well, they would both die. It made sense to both of them that idly standing by resulted in the same end; at least they could attempt something.

"What is this major plan?"

"You remember the time when the Wise Men were attacked by the interlopers?" She asked, panting as she stepped between the rubble. Sayeh was still in weak shape; she could tell from how she landed in each step, wavering, a constant balance act. "I befriended the short one. Not the Eyepatch butthole, but the other one. He can take us elsewhere."

Cas smirked at her use of the word "butthole", but then wondered where he could take them all. "Elsewhere?"

"He's from another world. He could take us there, and we wouldn't die."

"But everyone else will," Cas deadpanned.

Sayeh wrapped her bulky layers closer around her. Inwardly, she shivered, not just at the blizzard, but at the concept of mass death. "Who knows, maybe he can take everyone on the planet with him. Better idea than Navid's."

"And if he can't take any of us?"

Sayeh was quiet for a few seconds. "…Then we all die." Cupping her mouth, she drew in all her breath, and in the largest yell she could muster, "ROXXXAAASSSSSSS!"

It echoed in the empty space of the spreading lands around the walls.

"…I don't understand how this is supposed to work."

"Honestly, I doubt it will, but I have no way of reaching this guy—"

Beside them in the center of the Clock Square, a dark oval materialized, and out stepped Roxas.

"Roxas!" Sayeh chirped, happy that her foolish plan managed to work. "I shouted, but I didn't expect you to show up."

"I was already outside the Wall," Roxas answered, pushing back his hood. "This place is a mess. There's so many Heartless!"

"Yeah, about that…" Sayeh started. "We wanted to see if this plan of mine could work. It involves saving people's lives…"

"Eh, sure thing? What's up?"

"We need you to take us to your world, through the dark oval thing. The more people, the better." She said with a smile, hoping the answer would return sudden and positive. They had spent time together, eaten together, and he was such a nice and cheerful guy. Her faith in him was swelling by the second…

…and crashed in one.

Roxas kicked some of the ashes with his foot as he averted his gaze elsewhere. "Sayeh…I can't do that."

She stuttered. "W-what? Why?"

"Because I wouldn't be allowed to—"

"—And because, he's part of the reason why your world is crashing and burning in the first place. Isn't that right, Roxas?" The voice came from behind them all, another portal closing after Riku stiffly strode out. He was ready for anything. "Tell them what your Organization is all about."

"The impostor!" Roxas shouted, instantly summoning his weapon.

Sayeh felt herself stepping in front of Riku, with no idea why. Instead, she focused on the words that Riku said, the reality of their situation that suddenly became so grave. "What is he talking about, Roxas?"

"He's the impostor, you're gonna trust him? Move, Sayeh," Roxas insisted.

Cas had his ice magic at the ready in the palm of his hand, poised defensively next to Sayeh. He was more than confused, but what mattered was keeping his friend safe. She shook her head. "Tell me, now!"

"Xigbar was ordered to release more Heartless into this world, as an experiment to see how quickly the deterioration of your world could accelerate," Riku answered for Roxas, much to his demise, as his gritted teeth and knitted eyebrows showed. Roxas had a fierce look about him, one that showed anger in his betrayal of Sayeh, and somehow, her betrayal of him. She met the impostor, took his side over Roxas'. Riku said pointedly to Cas, "Hey, you may want to get her out of here, now."

Without even a nod, Cas scooped Sayeh into his arms and ran for their lives for the dorms. Despite her thrashing and constant swearing, Cas had no problem holding her while he hauled for the safety of the dormitories, only with her disappointment. Sayeh was never one to cry openly, until now.

Once in the building, Cas set his friend down, and she fell into a heap on the floor. "That lying cheat! What an idiot I was! I can't believe him! That was the last hope I had for this world, and he spat on it! What a jerk! I can't—I c-can't—!" She wailed, and became especially louder when Cas wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her.

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><p><strong>So, the cat's out of the bag. I hope this wasn't a heap of nonsense; I tried to make it a sound idea. You know how you can let me know? By hitting that review box and leaving me a nice or nasty review, depending on what you thought! I would love though, if the nasty ones were still constructive. Don't be nasty just to be nasty. It's wasteful. Please review, remind me why I write, and fingers crossed for everything working out!<strong>


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